other chronic infection, you are immunocompromised. You must, even more closely, follow recommendations to improve your overall health, rev up your immune system, and reduce your exposure to the virus. The International College of Integrative Medicine believes

that objectively reporting the known scientific facts will reduce fear and panic surrounding the disease. (ii) Furthermore, conven- tional medicine formally endorses no treatment currently (other than supportive care). Importantly, integrative physicians have a large armamen- tarium of preventive and treatment protocols which have been successfully used for similar viruses, including other strains of coronaviruses (SARS and MERS). They believe it is their obligation and privilege to share these with the community at large. They recommend consultation with an experienced physician, naturo- path, or herbalist for anyone exploring integrative remedies. If we can reduce our individual susceptibility to serious ill- ness, our likelihood of developing only mild symptoms if we are infected is much higher.

First Things First: How Can You Protect Your Family From SARS- CoV-2? These are commonsense measures to protect yourself from

SARS-CoV-2:

• Wash hands frequently, especially before eating or touching your face. Washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds is the best option. But you must wash your hands the RIGHT WAY! Be sure to read Dr. Elisa Song&#39;s article, Hand- washing &#38; Coronavirus: Are you doing it the right way? (iii)

• Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. If you don’t have access to soap and water, an alcohol-based hand sani- tizer is the next best thing. But it must be at least 60%—this is the percentage found to kill coronavirus in studies.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth! The first step is being mindful of how often we actually touch our faces! Varying studies have shown that we touch our faces on average 23-50

Elizabeth R. Vaughan, MD times per hour!

• Stay home when you’re sick, un- less you need urgent medical atten- tion. You may be increasing your possible exposures to SARS-CoV-2 if you don’t have it or exposing oth- ers unnecessarily if you do.

• Cover your cough with your elbow or tissues. If you use a tissue, immediately throw it into the trash and wash your hands.

• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask. The CDC now recommends that people who are well wear a mask when venturing out of the home to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. If you’re unable to acquire a mask from a store, you can make your own using the a pattern provided by the CDC. (iv) Facemasks should also be used by people who show symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

• When you get home, leave your shoes at the front door or in your garage. Don&#39;t track any potential virus particles into your house by wearing your shoes into the house.